Friday, March 21, 2008

As a photographer I get the opportunity to work with individuals and their families at the very highlights of their lives.... whether it be graduation from high school or the much anticipated wedding day. I experience genuine emotions through my camera viewfinder each and every time I go to work. There are many times when I find myself choked up during a father's speech to his daughter on her wedding day... emotions run high in my line of work. But nothing could have prepared me for the day I spent with Becky and Tim in early March. This was truly one of the most incredible photographic experiences of my life!

After working with Becky & Tim for their maternity session they approached me with the idea of photographing the delivery. We discussed the specifics a bit and I agreed to photograph their son's birth in a photo journalistic style... simply as a silent observer. As Becky's due date approached I found myself going to bed each night with my cell phone on the nightstand close by and my camera bag packed and ready to go. Lucky for me the call never came in the middle of the night... it came at about 2:00 in the afternoon. The plan was that I would be notified when they checked in to the hospital and then again when she had progressed a bit further along. Those calls came within a matter of 30 minutes of one another. I have to thank the Madison Police Department for being no where near the vicinity of Park Street that afternoon because I was definitely driving a touch over the speed limit. Thank goodness I did though... after finding Becky & Tim I was only in the room at most 20 minutes before their son made his appearance. There were a lot of tears and a lot of smiles... it was a moment I won't soon forget.

Many of my close friends and family knew that I was "on call" to photograph a birth. So following the delivery I was asked many times over how it went. Each time I recounted the story my audience would tear up remembering their own child's birth. I decided I really needed to share the incredible experience I captured. A huge thank you to Becky & Tim for allowing me to be a part of their first day as a family and for allowing me to share these pictures here with all of you. Much love * baby N's proud "Aunt" Jennifer ;)

Tim's mother was sending some prayers out for Becky & baby.....

I just adore this picture! I can only imagine what it is like to have that first touch... makingactual skin to skin contact with your child after waiting to meet them for 9 months.

At 10 days old handsome baby "N" visited me in the studio for his official newborn session.